Hearing Loss
More Treatable Than You Think
Hearing loss can happen to anyone, at any age, and from all walks of life. Hearing loss occurs for a wide variety of reasons. Sometimes we aren’t aware that our hearing is diminishing. Hearing loss can be incremental. At other times it is sudden. Ringing in our ears can lead to a loss of hearing. You don’t have to suffer with a hearing loss.
Age-Related Hearing Loss
Did you know that 50% of people over 65 years of age suffer from some form of hearing loss?
This hearing loss is also called presbycusis. When we gradually lose our hearing, we often aren’t aware that we have an issue. But ask yourself, do you: Struggle with phone conversations? Miss pieces of dialogue? Ask people to repeat themselves? Find it difficult to carry on a conversation in a noisy place like a restaurant?
Other Common Causes of Hearing Loss
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Concerts, noisy job sites, prolonged exposure to loud sounds
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Genetics and Heredity
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Viruses, Illnesses and Infections
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Head Injuries
Conductive Hearing Loss
Conductive Hearing Loss happens when the outer or middle ear cannot conduct sound properly. It can occur in all three sections of your ear – the inner, middle and outer ears. Blockages can result from trauma or obstruction in your ear.
When you experience conductive hearing loss, you’ll have difficulty hearing at all pitches, both low and high. Conductive hearing loss can be caused by:
Ear Wax Accumulation
Repeated middle ear infections (otitis media)
Chronic infection
A growth in the middle ear (cholesteatoma)
An abnormal bone growth near the middle ear (otosclerosis)
Some types of conductive hearing loss can be treated with hearing aids
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural Hearing Loss is the most common type of hearing loss. It is caused when the inner ear and/or the auditory nerve is damaged. Sensorineural Hearing Loss symptoms include:
Reduced sensitivity to soft sounds
Decreasing ability to distinguish different speech patterns/signals
Perception of loudness is affected
Causes:
Age
Exposure to noise
Genetics
Birth related causes
Medications
Most types of Sensorineural hearing loss can be treated with hearing aids
Mixed Hearing Loss
Mixed hearing loss is any combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss and can be a gradual loss or sudden. Trauma/accident is a common cause of mixed hearing loss.
Mixed Hearing Loss is more complicated. The symptoms can be one or more of the symptoms listed under sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.
Hearing Loss is Much More than Missing Words
Left untreated, hearing loss may cause emotional, mental, and social impacts. Ask yourself:
- Do you experience increased sadness, depression, irritability, stress, or negativity?
- Do you think people get angry with you "for no reason"?
- Do you sit in the background at social events?
- Do you struggle to learn new things?
Many studies link hearing loss to these symptoms. But it doesn’t have to be that way. A large majority of people can gain back so much of what is missing in their lives because of hearing loss.
9 out of 10 hearing aid users say they’re experiencing a much richer life.
Hearing Loss is treatable.
Hearing aids can give you back the life you want.
Don’t miss out on important conversations again.